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Moderator Sky McCloud (left) pauses while little sister
Winter makes a point.
Photo by Barry Brown © SDCC

My Dad Makes Comics!

Look out comics world … the kids take over!

Ever wonder what a career in comics looks like from a kid's eye view? Comic-Con did, and at a panel entitled "My Dad Makes Comics!" we assembled four fantastic young people with first-hand experience on the subject. The speakers included Brennan (16) and Amanda (14) Wagner, children of Matt Wagner (Grendel, Mage), alongside Sky (14, moderator) and Winter (11) McCloud, daughters of Scott McCloud (Making Comics, Understanding Comics, Zot!). Here are some of the fun things we learned as the event began calmly and then quickly descended into hilarity.

Sky: How is it different to have a dad who makes comic books as opposed to any other jobs your friends' parents have?

It definitely pays the bill, that's for sure.

Sky: "The bill?"

Winter: The bills. Anyway, it's really fun to have my dad making comics because I get to go to places and most of my idols make comics or TV shows. So since my dad makes comics about making comics, usually they know who my dad is. So I can [say], "Hello, I'm Winter McCloud, Scott McCloud's daughter." And they'll be like, "Oh my God, it's an honor to meet you!"

Sky: Really? I've never gotten that reaction. (audience laughs) So, Brennan?

Brennan: [My dad] works in the basement, so I get to see his whole process and how he makes them, which is pretty cool because I'd like to do that someday.

Amanda: It's kind of cool going to Comic-Con and watching him [work] downstairs in the basement.

Winter: Really quick, I just want to add something onto what I said before, and that was that my mom used to do a little bit of local theater and so I do know what it's like to also have different parents who don't make comics. I think I'm chasing my mom's career more than my dad's. But it's really awesome to have a dad in the biz.

Sky: That leads to another question. Have you guys considered making comics as well or would you like to pursue a different career when you grow up?

Winter: I want to go after my mom's career because I've always wanted to be an actress.

Sky: Yeah, you've sort of already answered my question.

Winter: And I want to be a fashion designer, too.

Brennan: It's cool because he's a freelance artist so he doesn't really work for anyone, he doesn't have a boss, he makes his own pay, he doesn't have to listen to anyone and their instructions-except his lovely editor, Diana. So I'd like to follow in his footsteps.

Amanda: Uhhhh, no. I can't draw, so if I was in the business I would pretty much not work.

Sky: I would like to write and direct television when I grow up and I'm drawn to the storytelling element, which is probably passed down from my family. I think that comics make for a very interesting way of telling stories, but I don't think the stories I want to tell are in that form. It's not how I want to see them.

Winter: Her idol is Joss Whedon.

Sky: Anyway, has anyone had a negative reaction to their parents drawing comics, like someone thinking that their dad didn't have a real job?

Brennan: Not really.

Amanda: It would be nice if he got out of the basement and exercised for a change.

Audience Question: What is your weirdest convention story?

Amanda: My dad told me about this comic book fan [who] came up to him and said, "I want to show you something." He lifted up his shirt and all over his back were Grendel tattoos, so I would definitely put that in the weird category.

Sky: I can't really think of anything. Our dad doesn't attract as many weird fans.

Audience Question: Is there any difference in the way your peers react to you, especially if you have friends who are comic fans? Or who just want to be your friend because of your dad?

Sky: That would be cool!

Winter: I think there are quite a few people who are nicer to us than maybe some other people because my dad makes comics. Because if your mom was Julie Andrews or something, then there would be a bunch of people who want to be friends with you because your mom was Julie Andrews, and they want to also be friends with Julie Andrews.

Brennan: Yeah, all my friends treat me nice because they want to score free stuff.

Amanda: I don't think I get special treatment for it [but] whenever I tell someone that my dad's a comic book artist they're like, "So your dad's a cool dad." Uh, I guess…

Winter: It is pretty cool that when I go to school [kids say], "Hey, your dad made The Adventures of Abraham Lincoln, right? I loved that book so badly!"

Sky: At one point we gave The Adventures of Abraham Lincoln to my school and it was in my classroom. There was always a line to read it. There would be people who had memorized the plot. So that was kind of cool.

Winter: I've never even read it.

Audience Question: Bruce Sterling once told me that no matter how cool, edgy and hip you are, your kids will think that you're boring and normal and embarrassing.

Sky: Totally.

Artist/writer Matt Wagner's children,
Brennan and Amanda
Photo by Barry Brown © SDCC

Brennan: I guess that holds true. I don't really see him as that cool. He writes comics and stuff, but he's just my dad.

Amanda: Yeah, I think the same thing. You know, I want to think of a really embarrassing moment that my dad gave me, but I can't think of one. Which is kind of lucky. My Mom gives all those to me.

Winter: My dad is very embarrassed whenever we want to use his name to go see Matt Groening or something.

Sky: I'd be embarrassed, too. I hate when you guys do that.

Winter: If you get to see your idol just by saying, "Hi, my dad is Scott McCloud," that's pretty awesome.

Sky: See, my biggest idol in the world knows who daddy is…

Winter: A.K.A. Joss Whedon.

Sky: … yet I try not to use that. Do we have any embarrassing stories for the benefit of the audience?

Winter: I have a lot of embarrassing stories about me…

Sky: (interrupting) No, not those!

Audience Question: Have you guys been placed in any of your dad's comics?

Brennan: Most of you have probably read Mage, and you know that the main character, Kevin, is based on [my dad]. Most of the characters are based off real people in his life. My sister and me will be in the upcoming installment of Mage when it comes out. We'll be very little, though. And I think I was put in issue 100 of Usagi Yojimbo, in the back. It's kind of subtle but I was definitely there.

Amanda: I was not in Usagi. I was left out.

Winter: In Understanding Comics…

Sky: Wait, you were not in Understanding Comics. You did not exist. You cannot answer this question.

Winter: In Making Comics, I- the beautiful, wonderful me-there are quite a few characters who are based on me and then even more that are based on … (gestures toward Sky).

Sky: There's a part about this in the book. Daddy will use reference shots to show how the face or arms work, so he'll get people to take pictures in positions that he wants to use. For Making Comics, he used family and friends, so we were in the book that way. Also, Winter, Mom [and I] were in the book in one panel, where he's talking about personal space.

Audience Question: Brennan, what is your father's reaction to following in his footsteps?

Brennan: He's been pretty supportive. He never really gives me a drawing lesson, exactly, but whenever I show him a piece, he gives me little corrections and he's been very helpful.

Amanda: I don't think I've ever read one of my dad's comics.

Winter: Me neither.

Sky: I've only read a few of my dad's.

Amanda: Maybe one or two here and there.

Brennan: I've read all my dad's comics.

Audience Question: Do you guys read comics that aren't by your dad?

Brennan: I read whatever I can get for free. I like to think of myself as an avid reader of comics. Not so much prose novels. I'd like to read more, but I never get around to it because I'm always reading comics instead. I like a lot of stuff that Dark Horse makes, indie comics.

Amanda: I don't read comics. They look cool, though.

Sky: A lot of the comics in our family get passed around, and there's some that we all really love. Basically, Winter's and my job is to find the good manga and bring it back to Daddy and he'll give us all the good American and Canadian comics. Our favorite one right now is Scott Pilgrim, which is from Halifax.

Audience Question: Do you guys ever critique your dad's work?

Sky: There have been times when Dad and I have debates about comics theory, but that makes for interesting discussion.

Brennan: I try to take every opportunity to remind my dad how bad he is at drawing. As a joke, of course. I think he's usually pretty good, but on a rare occasion I'll make a correction and he'll agree with it and change his work.

Amanda: I don't really know much about comics so who am I to tell him that it sucks? But sometimes, [if characters] will be wearing something weird I would say that. I also joke around, saying they look horrible.

Sky and Winter's proud parents,
Scott McCloud and Ivy Ratafia,
look on from the front row.
Photo by Barry Brown © SDCC

Audience Question: When your dad is not drawing comics, what does he do around the house?

Brennan: My dad likes to cook a lot. I don't know if any of you have read it, [but] he published a short issue of his where he gave a recipe in comic book format. He really likes to cook.

Sky: My dad hasn't passed the macaroni and cheese level of cooking, that's about as far as he goes.

Amanda: My dad likes to read a whole lot. He's also home alone because he works at home, and he's always talking to our cat. It's kind of weird.

(At this point, convention attendees begin flooding into the room.)

Sky: Is there a really popular panel next, because I'm thinking not everyone's coming to see us.

Winter: Raise your hand if you're here to see us.

(A large portion of attendees raise their hands.)

Amanda: We're so cool!

Winter: Raise your hand if you came to see the next panel.

(Another large portion of attendees raise their hands.)

Sky: You guys are uncool.

Audience Question: Amanda, since your dad works on so many butt-kicking characters, are guys intimidated to ask you out because of the work he produces?

Amanda: Uh … no. Sometimes my dad tells me about the plotlines of the stuff, and I'm like, "That's so sad. Why do you have to make the comics so sad?"

Brennan: All my friends think it's really cool that my dad writes bloody, gory comics.

Sky: I've had boys say, "Oh, no! She's going to talk comics theory to me!"

Audience Question: Whose idea was it to do this panel? Were your parents messing with you or what?

Sky: This is actually my idea, I'm sorry. But see, we have such big crowds that [the Comic-Con will] think we can do this in the future and get some more people. So every year you can get a different perspective on what it's like. It'll be like Pokémon: collect them all.

Winter: Just out of curiosity, who here is enjoying our panel so far?

(Applause fills the room, even from the next-panel attendees.)

Winter: What's the panel after this?

Audience: Fables.

Winter: Fables? Never heard of it.

(More laughter and applause.)

Audience Question: Your parents are very successful. Do you feel a need to be successful?

Winter: Yes.

Sky: I'm happy to have my dad as a role model, because I always get scared. There are [so many] famous people in the world. What are my odds that I'll become one of them? And then I'm like, "Hey, my dad's popular. I can do that. He's right there. He's someone I know!"

Winter: Yeah, and we know Neil Gaiman, and boy he's hot.

Sky: Brennan, Amanda? Do you feel like you need to be successful when you get older?

Brennan: I guess. I've actually gotten [called] "Matt's shadow" before. So I guess there is a [desire] to be as successful, if not more, than that.

Sky: Have you ever used your dad to get something?

Brennan: To get on this panel.

Audience Question: Who's crazier, your mom or your dad?

Winter: My dad.

Sky: My mom.

Brennan: I'd have to say my mom.

Amanda: I'd have to say my mom, too.

Brennan: Actually, neither. My Aunt is definitely crazy.

Amanda: Yes, she's a little crazy.

Winter: (to Sky) Can I ask a question?

Sky: (nervously) Okay…

Winter: (dramatic pause) What is your favorite color?

Sky: This is why you're not the moderator. Okay, so why don't we say one final thing about life as the child of a comic book artist.

Winter: Having a comic book artist as your dad is not that great. Burn!

Amanda: Having a dad as a comic book artist isn't that much different except he lives in the basement.

Brennan: I'd just like the opportunity to say, please stop by my dad's table and buy plenty of things so that I can get a 10% commission.

Sky: Thank you and have a good con.